|
|
Post by sunny on Dec 30, 2008 1:39:00 GMT -5
Sunny was not having a good day.
Typically, she loved her first job. She was a day-care lady from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., watching a whole slew of kids who weren't her own while their parents were working. She loved kids. As far as she was concerned, kids were the best kinds of people you could hope for. Young, innocent. Most of them absolute sweethearts, but occasionally, there would be a real devil among the bunch.
Today, she had two of them. Two identical twin boys who just moved from Arkansas, Brandon and...Braydon, or something. Of course they had to have the really-close-names-that-are-both-spelt-and-pronounced-almost-exactly-alike, just to confuse the hell out of everyone. She was sure their parents didn't even know them apart...
Never had she seen a pair of little hell-raisers quite like those two. There was something wrong about them. They weren't as rough-and-tumble as most little boys, no, they were just plain violent. They threw all the crayons off the table, tore up the colored paper they were to draw on, and even tried attacking the other children.
She was exhausted. Couldn't those kids have just stayed in Arkansas?
She was on her way home, after stopping at the grocery store, and seriously considering calling in sick for her second job. She didn't think she'd be up to waiting tables in a few hours. Her legs felt like jelly, and the bags of groceries she was toting felt as if someone had filled them to the top with bricks.
She had two plastic bags on one hand, one a double-bagged gallon of milk, the other a simple loaf of bread. But it was the brown paper bag she was balancing on her left hip that was giving her the trouble. The sales girl was new, and she didn't know how to bag properly yet. So she put a whole ton of soup cans in one bag, and a carton of eggs carefully on top. And she thought one bag would do the job.
It wouldn't. The bag split, unable to take all of the weight, and down the contents went. The carton of eggs hit the ground with a crunch that made Sunny flinch. The stressed blonde cursed the sales girl for being stupid enough to put so many cans in one bag, then cursed herself for being stupid enough to not say something about it.
"This is great. Just great."
She lowered herself to the ground, gently putting the milk and bread beside her, and examined the contents of the egg carton. Perhaps there were some unbroken that were worth saving...?
Jesus Christ, I'm pathetic.
|
|
|
|
Post by Garion DeLuse on Dec 30, 2008 8:45:04 GMT -5
Garion was happy to be somewhere normal for once.
Don't get him wrong, he loved the Academy, with every fiber of his being. He loved how open he could be there, how happy. Living on his own in a dorm was so much better than at home, and the responsibility and freedom of self was liberating.
Unfortunately, one could only take so much...weirdness. So, as soon as Saturday hit, Garion was on the early Masonville bus.
But it wasn't the Masonville bus. Instead, Garion found himself carted to the slightly bigger city of St. Louise.
After wandering around pathetically for about 20 minutes, Garion took shelter in a supermarket. He walked in and, of course, was just in time to witness misfortune befall someone.
A beautiful woman who even before the accident looked like she was on the verge of having a stress overload fell victim to an overloaded paper bag. Groceries were artfully splattered on the floor, but no one seemed to care, just dodging the mess and moving on with thier busy lives.
That's St. Louise for ya.
Garion immediatly went to help the lady. The eggs were lost, but the cans were barely even dented.
|
|
|
|
Post by sunny on Dec 30, 2008 18:00:35 GMT -5
Two of the eggs managed to survive the fall unarmed, though the rest were a splattery mess of yellow yolk. She thought about taking the two home, somehow, but she didn't exactly have anything to keep them in. The carton was an idea, but she'd rather just throw the messy thing away. Putting it in any of the other bags would only result in them cracking under the weight of the surrounding groceries.
"Damnit. Another dollar wasted. Just my luck..." The blonde shook her head at the destroyed eggs, frustrated. She began trying to harvest her soup cans, building a little mountain with them.
"I could really use an extra pair of hands, you know." She muttered under her breath, sending a glare to a businessman who'd walked past her without another glance.
Selfish bastards, too high and mighty with their suits and breifcases to help a poor little workaholic basketcase like me.
She silently that wished the next guy to ignore her would step in those eggs she'd left in the middle of the road not far from her, and ruin those expensive leather shoes that he didn't even really need.
"Now how in God's name am I supposed to get all this junk home?" She asked the soup-mountain, not noticing Garion's closeness.
|
|
|
|
Post by Garion DeLuse on Dec 31, 2008 11:01:54 GMT -5
Garion couldn't stand watching this lady flail about like a madwoman in the midst of all these too-busy-to-care people. Garion dropped to the floor and picked up the cans, smiling at the lady with a " You ask God."
HEAVE
"You...ugh... get a god...send." the cans were too much for Garion to even handle, and the went toppling down.
Not even thinking, Garion slowed thier descension with a little leak of power (it was jerky, but he got there). The cans landed with a soft clang, shaking Garion in to realising what he had just done.
Or more importantly, where he just done.
"Do you mind if I help you take these home?" He asked, staring nervously at the cans that were far less dented than they would normally be. "I have an extra few hours before my bus comes."
|
|
|
|
Post by sunny on Jan 2, 2009 0:43:53 GMT -5
If only God would send me someone with the capacity to carry soup cans. Sunny thought to herself, chuckling and shaking her head in amusement when the shrimp dropped the cans. At least he's a cute kid.
"Little too heavy for ya there, kid?" She teased playfully, a little smirk tugging at her lips. "Sweet of you, though." Kids are sweet little things...save those little devils from Arkansas. "Thanks for the offer."
She took half of the cans, stacking them in a little pyramid that she hoped she'd be able to manage herself. "You shouldn't talk to strangers, you know." She chided, trying to shove the cans against her side. That plan failed miserably, so she removed the bread from one of the bags, and replaced it with a few cans. Let's see how long this holds out.
"But you're lucky; I'm a nice stranger. Think you can manage the rest of those cans, there?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Garion DeLuse on Jan 3, 2009 14:13:06 GMT -5
The cans in Garion's two hands were now somewhat more manageable. The young woman didn't bat him off or tell him to play with his little toys and stay out of sight like a good little boy, so points for her.
Garion smirked at the woman. "I make exceptions for overstressed people who aren't even helped by the staff of the store."
Garion didn't want to be too trusting, however, but the girl didn't have any visible weapons and wasn't very muscular. Garion could at the very least run away.
|
|
|
|
Post by sunny on Jan 7, 2009 22:46:30 GMT -5
"Overstressed, eh? That obvious?"
Sunny knew it was that obvious, and she sighed. If she had any friends left, they'd tell her she ought to take better care of herself, drop a job, get a roommate. Stop drinking like a fish. But life was never that easy.
She just wished it wasn't so clear that she was having a hard time. She hated nosy people, the kind of people who saunter over to you, and try and find out your business. Not because they care, not because they can relate, not even because they feel sorry for you. Because it makes them feel better about their own lives.
I'm great at cheering people up. All I have to do is talk about me. Having family problems? My parents are dead, my sister's in a coma, and I'm living in an apartment with a roof that's falling in. The rent is a million dollars a month, all I eat ever is soup, and I take my clothes off for money some nights. Damn right you feel better now. She thought acidly. People are such goddamn leeches. Hell with them all.
But kids...she liked kids.
"I didn't know there was a school nearby?" She teased, and began slowly making her way down the street, so Garion could follow. Hopefully, he would follow, she'd probably have a nervous breakdown if the little runt made off with half her groceries. "But who knows? Maybe one popped up somewhere without me noticin' it. But if it didn't, I'm not gonna tell on ya, you know? I just ain't that kinda girl. But..."
She turned to look back on him, looking purely mischievous.
"I can't help being curious."
|
|
|
|
Post by Garion DeLuse on Jan 10, 2009 8:24:28 GMT -5
Garion had to struggle to keep up with the lady he was helping but didn't even know the name of. Ever step of hers was two of his, and his arms were laden with groceries of ever shape and size.
It really couldn't hurt to tell her... after all, there are a couple other schools in Masonville.
"It's not hard to tell. You don't even look that overstressed." Lies. "But you're an adult. In a city. Who dropped her groceries. Ergo, you're overstressed."
"I go to school in Masonville... a boarding school... kinda. I felt like going somewhere for the weekend, so... I accidentally ended up here."
His face momentarily hardened, remembering that he was in a big city. "I also know three different forms of martial arts." Half- Truth. He knew them, but only in theory. "And all the human pressure points." Truth.
|
|
|
|
Post by sunny on Jan 10, 2009 22:27:36 GMT -5
"Yeah. Okay. Sure." She muttered, giving Garion what might have been a teasing smile, if she could smile at all. It always seemed that she was smirking.
Who was she kidding? She knew she looked stressed. She looked about ready to snap and go all psycho on everyone.
It's a good thing I'm such a weakling. If I snap I'm not doin' anyone any harm.
Fakin' it wouldn't do anyone any good. She'd just be fakin' for no reason, and Sunny was no fake. God, she hated fakes.
And all of a sudden, she got a strong urge to pinch the little guy on the cheeks, and she nearly smacked herself upside the head for it. Kids hated that, being treated like they're less than adults.
Now I know why people do that. They meet some cute little kid that's telling them they can do three kinds of karate and spear you in the throat, and it's like...it's like mind control. They don't know it, but they totally bring it upon themselves!
"What's your name, kid? I'm Sunny." Pause. "Don't even bother with the name, I've heard 'em all before."
|
|
|
|
Post by Garion DeLuse on Jan 10, 2009 22:57:52 GMT -5
Garion smiled at the lady. Se really seemed like she could do no harm, and what was the worst that could happen? He telekinesises her butt and hen runs away? Garion actually liked Sunny's wierd half smirk-grin. It was... calming, in a way.
She wasn't patronizing him. This woman was treating him like an equal. This was unfathomable to Garion, and he had to completely rethink the way the world works.
"Well, Sunny, I'm sure you already know this, but my name's Garion. Can't have you calling me kid."
"Speaking of which, why aren't you... I don't know... patronizing me? I mean, it doesn't feel... demeaning to talk to a child like an equal?"
|
|
|
|
Post by sunny on Jan 11, 2009 1:05:00 GMT -5
"Oh, how sad is this? Kids expect to be patronized. God, this world is so fuc-" She stopped herself just in time. She should not be swearing in front of kids, they were too impressionable. She didn't even like hearing people her age saying it. She didn't even like saying it herself, but stopping was about as easy as quitting smoking. "-messed up." Sunny gave him a stern, 'you just heard nothing' look. If he swore in front of her, she wasn't taking it lightly, no matter how cute he was.
It was always the cute ones who were the most trouble. Brandon and Brayden could have been angels on a Hallmark card. If anyone could keep them from stabbing little Lucy with crayons long enough to take a picture, anyway.
"I hate people who do that. Always have. I know when I was a kid I didn't like being treated like the 'grown-ups' were on some pedestal and I was some lowly being trying to earn their love and praise. That's unhealthy, you shouldn't ever treat kids like that. I've met ten-year-olds who're more mature than thirty-year-olds, five-year-olds more polite, more intelligent than kids three times their age. Kids are the smart ones, anyway. People get dumber when they age. Dumber, and more selfish."
She stopped for a moment to catch her breath, and at this point, one might assume that she was done making her argument. This was far from finished. Kids were probably the most thing Sunny was passionate about, and once she got rolling, she wouldn't stop unless she was made to.
"I work at a day-care center, and - did you know - I saw a man come to get his son and he was talking to him like he was a dog and not a boy! They even make leashes for kids these days, you know? Sick."
|
|
|
|
Post by Garion DeLuse on Jan 11, 2009 1:30:38 GMT -5
Garion completely ignored the almost-swear word, and focused on the ones more worthy of his attention.
He wanted to hug Sunny.
"That's amazing! You are the single most compassionate being I have ever met. Children aren't a subhuman form just waiting to become adults to you... I could never understand child abuse. The parent will get all frustrated because being a parent is hard (newsflash! it aint just you), and then start blaming the kids and making them feel guilty when it wasn't their fault you did something you're obviously not ready for and don't have enough character for and decided to bring them to creation."
"I mean, children can be a right pain in the neck, but so is every other human being. The only difference between children and adults is that children aren't afraid of being who they are. That is, until they are pounded into becoming more adult-like.Children reach for the sky and whittle it down to something do-able, and adults get by."
Garion really had no right to defend children; he was never treated very well by them. But Garion noticed he was only hated in later grades. The earlier the better.
|
|
|
|
Post by sunny on Jan 11, 2009 22:50:50 GMT -5
The compliment caught Sunny by surprise. She expected the kid to be intimidated by her harsh judgment, or to try defending parents. That's what she liked about kids. They thought everything was sunshine and roses. They'd yet to become the selfish, stupid individuals everyone wanted them to be. But this kid was mature beyond his years. She gave him a smile, an actual smile for once. She was impressed, and if you were Sunny, it took a lot to impress you.
"You are the single wisest kid I've ever met. Your parents must be awful proud. Garion, boy genius and...karate master extraordinaire! If my hands weren't full with all this...stuff..." She managed to avoid swearing this time, though a long pause between "this" and "stuff" showed it wasn't easy for her. "I'd hug you. Lucky my humble abode is right over there."
She jerked her head toward a run-down apartment complex. "First floor, right on the corner, but I understand if ya want to drop the...cans at the door and run."
"Well, not all parents are like that. There are a handful of good ones, you know? Ones that actually intended on having kids, prepared for it, and did a darn good job. Ones that don't smack their kids around for stealing the last cookie from the cookie jar. My folks weren't so bad, back when they were around...but worse than the ones who lash out at their kids for being kids are the ones who lash out at them for stuff they had nothing to do with. Daddy has a bad day at work, comes home and screams at little Joey for it. Kid didn't do anything, Daddy's just stressed, and too stupid to manage it in a non-destructive way. That is what we call projection, though some may call it 'being an asshole.'"
|
|
|
|
Post by Garion DeLuse on Jan 12, 2009 16:47:27 GMT -5
Now it was Garion's turn to be caught off guard. The compliment wasn't really expected to be returned. Despite himself, something warm bubbled in his chest.
"Proud is... a way to say things. I mean, they were impressed at first, but I guess it tired them out after a while."
Garion smirked at Sunny's slip of the tongue.
"Lookie, I learned a new word today!"
"In any case, I really shouldn't trust you, but I really can't help it. If you were someone... less desirable, I would certainly be in a lot of trouble. But I was the one who came to you, remember?"
"Anyway, I want to see where the extreme babysitter lives. It'll be educational."
|
|
|
|
Post by sunny on Jan 22, 2009 15:46:49 GMT -5
Ugh. Tired them out? He better not have those parents. The kind of parents that are so goddamn controlling that when they realize they've got a genius kid, they get bitter, because their kid knows more than most. What do you teach a kid that knows more than most? What about kids that know more than you do? Don't it just make you feel useless?
God, I hate people like that. There's always something to teach, no matter how smart your kid is. And why the hell would they stop being proud?
Sunny kept her harsh thoughts to herself. She knew that kids had real high opinions of their parents, even the genius ones, because that's who they were closest to. She wasn't about to go poking around in Garion's family life...but so help her, if she found out the kid had shitty parents, there'd be hell to pay.
"Don't you even think about using that word." She commented, her response so quick that one wouldn't guess she was brooding at all. She gave him a hard, stern look that said she was not to be messed with, though she had no idea what she'd do if he disobeyed. She wasn't his parent, or his teacher, or his babysitter; she had no authority over him. She couldn't put him in time-out, or take away his crayons, or make him fold socks until he'd learned his lesson. She couldn't spank him, but she'd never do that, anyway. Hitting kids - hitting anyone - made her stomach turn. Hopefully, she wouldn't be called to discipline the kid. He was carrying her groceries, for Chrissake! What could she do?
"My place ain't nothing special, believe me." She insisted, quirking a brow at his use of the word desirable. Weird thing for a kid to say. Hopefully he didn't have some kind of weird crush on her. She didn't know what to do with kids with weird crushes, either.
When she reached the doorstep, she set down the groceries to fish her key out of her pocket. "If you're coming in, keep to the right. The ceiling's been dripping on the left a few days now, apparently there's some kinda pipe problem. Bet it's my upstairs neighbors' fault. They're not exactly gentle, up there."
|
|
